The Dark Days
by Alexbee123
Summary: Ski has just become the first Tribute for District 12 in the first ever Hunger Games-only it isn't her name they called. She isn't from District 12 but no one knows that except for the couple who took her in, the Everdeens. Ski can't be herself, know one can know who she really is. She has already been through so much-will she be able to survive The Games as well?


**Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns the world of The Hunger Games. **

**The beginning of the beginning of The Hunger Games. I hope you like it!**

There is utter silence as I make my way towards the stairs. No one dares to take a breath, let alone move. Fear painted with pity is on every face I pass. I place my foot on the first step of the stairs to the platform, I look up and I think I see him in the crowd, but it can't be... I feel my heart race, but then the sun shines on the mans face and I see it was just a trick of the light, but it's too late. I try to fight it—I can't go back now—but my thoughts are already there with him.

_I see him as if he is next to me. We're sneaking out though the weak spot in the electrical fence and are running though the woods, towards our lake—our favorite swimming spot._

It was our first time in ages we were able to get out; more and more Capital guards had arrived, as more of us fought. But this morning they retreated, finally giving us a chance to escape the confines of the district and swim. I never wanted to leave the lake, he always had to drag me away, now I never go in.

I step up and place my foot on the next step, trying, with all my might, to block out the flashbacks, all in vain. I fall deeper into the past.

_We spend hours and hours in the water. It's almost night fall when we leave, we're walking up to the fence. He ducks through first and I'm about to follow, when I see it. He looks up to see what I'm staring at, but before either of us can do anything the bomb lands a few yards away._

My body starts shaking uncontrollably, I'm trying to focus on the next step, trying to bring myself back to the present, but my mind keeps on wondering. I force my body to step up.

_The force knocks me off my feet and he is pushed into the fence. All of a sudden the sky is filled with bombs, houses exploding, the ground is in the air. Once the shock wore off, I get up and run to the fence. The screams are like nothing I had ever heard before, filled with pain and fear. When I get to the fence, I fight back the same scream I hear around me when I see the piece of wood impaled in his stomach._

I fight back the scream once more, knowing that I can't let_ them_ see. I force myself to keep on moving trying to overcome the visions.

"_Come on, we got to go!" I say, though I know it's no use._

"_Run," he breathed out, as he looks up to me with his pain-filled eyes. _

"_I'm not leaving you!" More houses explode and the air fills with debris, it gets harder, by the second, to breathe._

"_You have to," he said as he starts coughing, "run towards the mountains, on the other side is 12. First water, then food." He wheezed. " I taught you to fish, you remember?" I nod, as tears fill my eyes. _

"_What am I going to do without you?" More tears fall, as the realization of what he is saying hits me._

"_I will always be with you. I love you, Ski."_

"_I love you, too," It barely comes out, muffled by my tears, choking on the ash. _

"_Now run." he said. I don't move. "RUN!" he yelled. My feet won't budge. "_Run._" _

_I see his body go limp. _

_I turn away and my feet suddenly know what to do, though the rest of me has never known less._

_The screaming gets fainter as I run through the trees, to the mountains, towards District 12, away from 13...away from my father._

I step up the last step and I force myself back into the present. I start walking towards center stage, towards the woman who looks as if she stepped out of a rainbow. The few Capital people here start applauding, but everyone else doesn't move.

I make my way to the center, turning my head out to the crowd, searching for her parents...the people who try to take care of me. I spot them and see tears filling their eyes, I know they will miss me, they have already lost their real daughter—loosing me is more than either can bare. I nod and hope they know that it's my thank you for taking me in, thank you for saving my life. I see them nod as if they understand, they understand that I will never come back.

The rainbow woman moves me to the microphone, she leans in, "District 12's first Hunger Games Tribute, Alcea Everdeen!"

The applause from the Capital people continue while the whole of 12 stare blankly at me, knowing that whatever these new 'Hunger Games' bring, it will only be a continuous string of suffering.

**Do you want more? If you do comment! In 5 comments I will post the next section! Thank for reading! **


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